During my last epic wrastlin' match with a dragon I gripped the scaley-fire-beast in a monster headlock and even through the green bloody tears weeping from his defeated eyes, I recognized the similarity those big peepers had to Pinus densiflora - The Dragon's Eye Pine. Clearly I easily defeated the whimpering mutant reptile with my bare hands, but the likeness of his glowing eyes to the variegated bands of the needles of this spectacular pine has never left me. Ever since I planted this tree outside my front door in the tradition of many great Japanese samurai, I've not had to battle with even one measly creature of legend. (That first part is actually true though, samurai would plant these just outside of their homes. It's a fact.)
Pine needle variegation is rare, but that only matters if you know what variegation is. The term 'variegation' refers to alternating color patterns which occur from mutations in different layers of a plants leaves, or in this case, needles. If you've ever seen leaves with patterns of green-white-green, or any combination of those colors, it is probably variegated. (But not always...) Most any Dragon's Eye Pine you come across is also likely the result of a graft, which is to say that it's a piece of one plant tacked onto the bottom of another. This is because Pinus densiflora creates sterile cones, so it shouldn't naturally reproduce itself. (Unless you find yourself with all-female dinosaurs on Isla Nublar, in which case, "Nature Finds A Way...")
Besides its killer needles, the Dragon's Eye Pine has bark like the skin of a mottled orange/brown lizard-snake-thing, which flakes and develops into an unimaginable scale-like pattern. The contrast of these two remarkable color features makes Pinus densiflora the most radical choice of pine tree available today. There is no comparison, and I fully reject any/all other species as inferior. (Unless I post another species of pine at some point. In which case, I will note having made an allowance then. But not until then. This one is the best.)
As a native of Japan and Korea, Dragon's Eye Pine is hardy through most of zones 4 and 5 through 8. Typically used as a specimen tree rather than as a massing, your Garden Man-scape will benefit most if your tree is placed to get as much sun as possible. These are really pretty simple plants to manage and won't need much special attention, if at all. It should be noted that some plants suffer from a sort of dulling of the crazy variegations as new needles are forming in the spring. But fear not, Pinus densiflora gets back to it's former glory quickly. After 15 years or so a good tree can get around 20' high, but can be hacked into whatever size pleases you. These are also excellent to consider if you practice bonsai, as the wildly different needles set them apart as magnificent specimens.
Reminiscing back to that last dragon-fight always gets me jazzed up about the Dragon's Eye Pine. Whether used as a trophy to commemorate a victorious battle, or just to show off your impeccable horticultural selection, Pinus densiflora will never disappoint. It will never make you angry. It will never call you names. Every season. Every year. This pine is #1.
photo credit:
1] http://pgwebdesign.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/winter-dragon-fighting.jpg
2] http://loneelder.com/images/Pinus_densiflora_Oculus_Draconis__web.JPG
3] http://www.petesmoviepage.com/Jurassic/door.gif
4] http://www.conifers.org/pi/pi/densiflora03.jpg
5] https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZF-77kMBJUftx_ruPhbL5p68kJXIitWAvarEYpjp_ElAnrW08OpH6xx7dXVTLh2Nq7MkW-PbnziBPysCQu30pGUr9W_TlaHPaQkOolTG8jfTbNoDWidZ_wHzokCp1PDugXxibPLeFMwY/s1600/bonsai.jpg
No comments:
Post a Comment